NHL Rumors: NY Rangers Preparing to Send An Offer Sheet To Premier RFA

The New York Rangers finally got their trade of Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks completed on Thursday. But was the return of the Ducks' No. 10 prospect Carey Terrance really their top goal in the deal? Not so much. It's clearly the $6.5 million in new cap space they've cleared for the next two seasons.

And with that, it can be assumed, they've set themselves up for another move, as GM Chris Drury is certainly not done re-making his roster just yet. Insider Elliotte Friedman said on The Fan Hockey Show on Thursday that we could expect to see a significant offer sheet from the Rangers.

I think it's really interesting how the Rangers aren't really upset to have the words 'offer sheet' connected to them. Some teams downplay that (possibility), but the Rangers don't seem to be concerned about downplaying it. They want people to know that they're coming.

Friedman then goes on to speculate on one potential big target that Drury could be eyeing.

One guy that the Rangers are believed to really like is (JJ) Peterka. (But) the Sabres have made it very clear that they're not interested in trading him (and are likely to want to match an offer sheet).

Which means, he says, that the Rangers will need to do some things in a potential offer sheet that will make the rival team say, "Ugh, this is really going to hurt us."

What can the Rangers do to make successful offer sheet for JJ Peterka?

Friedman mentions truckloads of up-front money and bonuses as options they have to structure an offer sheet in order to "make it harder" on the incumbent team.

Fellow insider Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, while not mentioning Peterka specifically, certainly echoes the same sentiments as Friedman, insisting that the Rangers are ready to go big-game hunting with their newfound cap space.

"I think they’re a team that doesn’t see any point in sitting back and just plodding along here. They want to move the needle. This is why they’re tearing down part of their core that’s been there for a long time… Just making the playoffs, just getting to the Conference Final, just winning the Presidents’ Trophy, that doesn’t mean anything to them. They want to win the Stanley Cup. "

The Sabres, and other teams with vulnerable RFAs, should be ready to batten down the hatches with the Rangers on the prowl.